Chapter 2
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Harry called out to Ginny, who was curled up in the library with a book.
He was sitting in the living room, keeping an eye on Teddy, who was happily babbling to himself as he played in his playpen.
It had been a month and two weeks since Andromeda’s death. Adjusting to life with Teddy had been a challenge at first, but now they had settled into a comfortable routine. He was a cheerful little thing, always full of energy, and Harry and Ginny had grown accustomed to his habits, his moods, and—most importantly—his mischief.
Leaving Teddy occupied with a stuffed dragon, Harry got up and walked through the long halls of the house, passing through three or four rooms before finally reaching the front door. He pulled it open and blinked in surprise.
Standing before him was a tall, blonde man—just an inch or two shorter than himself.
“Draco!” Harry said, eyebrows raised. “What a—surprise.”
Draco Malfoy gave a small, sad smile. “Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t think we’ve seen each other since graduation.”
He and Harry had been on civil terms after the war—maybe even something close to friendship, though neither of them had ever outright said it. Still, it wasn’t like Draco to drop by unannounced, so Harry couldn't help his initial shock.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he added quickly. “I was just… surprised. Come in.”
He stepped aside, letting Draco enter, and led him through the halls back to the living room.
As Draco followed, he glanced around, taking in the house. “Potter Manor, huh?” he mused. “Not bad.”
Harry huffed a laugh. “Yeah, not bad. It’s still taking some getting used to.”
Draco nodded in understanding, but before he could reply, something in the room caught his attention.
He stopped in his tracks. “You—” He frowned. “I didn’t know you had a baby.”
Harry followed his gaze to Teddy, who had stopped playing and was now staring up at Draco with wide, curious eyes.
“Oh, no,” Harry said quickly. “He’s not ours. This is Teddy Lupin—Remus and Tonks’ son.” His voice softened slightly. “He was living with Andromeda until… well. She passed away a little over a month ago, so we took him in.”
Draco’s expression shifted as he processed that information. “Oh,” he said quietly.
Just then, Ginny stepped out of the library. “Draco!” she greeted warmly.
Draco turned, smiling as he pulled her into a quick hug. “Ginny! Good to see you again.”
“You too,” she said, grinning.
“Sit down before Ginny accuses me of being rude,” Harry said, gesturing toward the sofa.
Draco chuckled and took a seat, still glancing at Teddy, who was very focused on him.
“I’ll go make tea,” Ginny announced, disappearing into the kitchen.
Harry walked over to Teddy’s playpen and scooped him up, settling onto the sofa with the little boy in his lap. Teddy, however, was still fixated on their guest.
Then, to Harry’s amusement, Teddy’s dark curls faded and lightened into a familiar platinum blonde.
Draco’s eyes widened. “Did he just—?”
Harry smirked. “Yeah. He’s a Metamorphmagus, like Tonks. And since he just made his hair look like yours, that means he wants to go to you.”
Draco blinked. “What?”
Harry laughed and held Teddy out toward him. “Go on, take him.”
Draco hesitated, then carefully took Teddy into his arms. Teddy immediately turned to look between Harry and Draco, his little head swiveling back and forth as if comparing the two of them.
Then he stopped, stared straight at Draco, and chirped, “Unnle Dwaco?”
Draco froze.
Harry bit back a grin. “Yup, that’s you. Uncle Draco.”
Draco’s mouth opened slightly. “He—how did he—? He’s barely over a year old!”
“He’s a fast learner,” Harry said proudly. “Especially with names.”
Still looking stunned, Draco glanced down at the tiny child now nestled against him. After a second, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Uncle Draco, huh?”
Teddy let out a giggle as Draco lightly tickled his foot.
By the time Ginny returned with the tea, Draco still hadn’t let go of Teddy.
As they all settled in, they found themselves reminiscing—laughing about their time at Hogwarts, their intense rivalry, and how no one could have ever imagined Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy sitting together in the same living room, drinking tea, while a tiny Metamorphmagus sat happily in Draco’s lap.
“I still don’t understand how this happened,” Draco said, shaking his head as Teddy tried to grab his nose.
Harry just chuckled. “Neither do I. But I think you’ve been adopted.”
Draco snorted. “Well, I suppose there are worse fates.”
And as he gently ruffled Teddy’s soft blonde curls, he found that—surprisingly—he didn’t mind at all.
After a while, Draco finally got up to leave, handing Teddy back to Harry.
“Come by again sometime,” Ginny told him at the door.
Draco glanced at Teddy, who was staring up at him with big, expectant eyes.
“…Yeah,” he said. “I think I will.”
And with that, he stepped outside, disappearing into the night.